FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 277 
neous; produced leaves about three to a tuft, 1-1 ft. long, 
12-8 in. broad, rigid in texture, with about 8 distinct ribs. Pe- 
dunele slender, 13-2 ft. long, conspicuously two-angled towards 
the top. Heads ovoid-oblong, 4-3? in. long; bracts orbicular, 
dark brown, rigid in texture, lin. long and broad. Perianth- 
tube cylindrical, } in. long; bracteoles as long as the tube, 
distinctly winged down the back; throat densely pilose; seg- 
ments oblong. Stamens nearly as long as the limb; anthers 
oblong-sagittate ; filaments short, pilose. Style with 3 branches 
as long as the stamens. Ovary oblong, acutely angled.—Central 
Madagascar, Parker! Baron 568! 1025! Baron 448 is a closely 
allied apparently new species with narrower subterete leaves and 
oblong and very glossy castaneous bracts ; but the specimens are 
not complete enough to describe it fully. Thunberg’s Cape plant 
will need to be redescribed before it can be clearly indivi- 
dualized. 
Xyris sEMIFUSCATA, Bojer MSS. 
Perennis, glabra, dense czspitosa, foliis pluribus parvis anguste lineari- 
bus, pedunculo gracillimo elongato sursum ancipiti, capitulo parvo globoso, 
bracteis oblongis rigidulis nitidis castaneis, braeteolis lanceolatis acute 
carinatis haud alatis, perianthii segmentis oblongis quam tubus cylindricus 
brevioribus, antheris deltoideo-sagittatis filamentis brevissimis, staminodiis 
nullis, styli ramis brevibus applanatis apice cuneatis. 
A densely tufted perennial, with very slender wiry root-fibres. 
Produced leaves about half a dozen to a rosette, 1-2 in. long, 
4 lin. broad, with 5-7 distinct ribs. Peduncle very slender, 
6-15 in. long, distinctly 2-edged upwards. Heads globose, 1 in. 
in diam.; bracts densely imbricated, oblong, dark brown, shining, 
less firm in texture than those of X. capensis, 4 in. long. Peri- 
anth with a cylindrical tube 4 in. long, clasped by two rigid lan- 
ceolate navieular bracteoles, which are acutely keeled, but not 
winged on the back ; outer segment ovate cucullate, deciduous; 
inner oblong.  Anthers deltoid-sagittate, with very short fila- 
ments. Style with 3 short flattened branches.— Central Mada- 
gascar, Bojer! Lyall 398! Parker! Baron 470!1089! Native 
name * Sakoerintany." May be identical with X. humilis, Kunth. 
We have Madagascar examples of X. platycaulis, Poir., from 
Gerrard 53 and Boivin. 
ERIOCAULON FLUITANS, n. sp. 
E. caule elongato submerso foliis capillaribus patulis densis predito, 
